NOV 21, 2011
Recent studies have shown some associations between polymorphisms in several genes and treatment outcomes with anti-VEGF treatments for wet AMD. The authors of this retrospective study investigated how VEGF gene polymorphisms affect response to bevacizumab or to triple therapy (photodynamic therapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide and bevacizumab). Of the four VEGF gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)s studied, one, rs699946, was significantly associated with visual outcomes 12 months after treatment, whether they received bevacizumab alone (P = 0.044) or triple therapy (P= 0.010).
Visual acuity change at 12 months was best in those with the GG genotype, middle with the GA genotype, and worst in those with the AA genotype. Response was similar between patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and typical wet AMD. There were no significant differences in the number of treatments, incidence of recurrence, or the time to recurrence according to rs699946 genetic variant.
They conclude that the determination of the genotype of VEGF rs699946 would be of great help in predicting visual outcome of AMD after the treatment of IVB or triple therapy.